In a tragic incident, a 59-year-old New York man, Joseph DeLucia Jr., killed four of his family members before taking his own life. The incident occurred just before a real estate agent was scheduled to discuss the future of the family home, where DeLucia Jr. had lived his entire life.
The victims included DeLucia Jr.’s siblings Joanne Kearns, 69, from Florida, Frank DeLucia, 64, from North Carolina, and Tina Hammond, 64, from New York, as well as his 30-year-old niece Victoria Hammond, also from New York. After the killings, DeLucia Jr. reported the incident to 911 before shooting himself with a shotgun, according to Nassau County Police Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick.
The police arrived at the scene on Wyoming Avenue in Syosset, Long Island, to find all five individuals deceased. This tragic event followed the recent death of the family’s 95-year-old matriarch, Theresa DeLucia, who passed away from natural causes on August 19. The family had just laid her to rest on the preceding Friday.
On the day of the incident, the family members had gathered in the house to meet with a real estate agent to discuss the future of the property. DeLucia Jr., however, stayed behind, armed himself with a 12-gauge shotgun, and proceeded to kill his family members. Fitzpatrick stated that DeLucia Jr. believed he was being excluded from his mother’s will and feared he would be left homeless.
The real estate agent, who was scheduled to visit the house before the tragic incident, spoke with Newsday newspaper. She revealed that the family had invited her to assess the house while they were in town for the funeral. Fitzpatrick added that the situation was even more tragic because DeLucia Jr. was actually included in his mother’s will and was set to be taken care of.
DeLucia Jr. allegedly fired 12 shots, hitting his victims multiple times. He then went out to the front lawn, shouting about the incident, which prompted a neighbor to call 911. That’s when he shot himself in the chest. DeLucia Jr. had a history of medical issues and had exhibited suspicious behavior in the days leading up to the murders, including telling neighbors not to call the police if they heard gunshots.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who described the scene as one of the worst he’s seen in his 40-year career, urged the community to report any suspicious behavior. A neighbor, Wendy Paisler, said DeLucia Jr. was known for his outbursts during mental health episodes and was struggling with his mother’s death.